Single Post

Duke guard Jeremy Roach — the last remaining link to Mike Krzyzewski’s final Blue Devils team — is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal, he announced on social media Tuesday night.

Roach — who averaged 14 points and 3.3 assists per game this season, while shooting a career-best 42.9 percent from 3-point range — has one season of eligibility left, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the role he played in bridging the Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer eras, Roach deserves to be remembered as one of the most connective Duke players in history. He was a part-time starter most of his first two seasons in Durham, including his freshman year, when Duke had its worst season since 1995 and missed the NCAA Tournament — until March of 2022 when he re-entered Duke’s starting lineup and was integral to the team making the Final Four.

Roach hit a late dagger against Michigan State in the round of 32 and stabilized the Blue Devils in their hard-fought Sweet 16 victory over Texas Tech. After the Final Four, Roach and guard Jaylen Blakes (who also entered the transfer portal this month) were the only two players from Krzyzewski’s final team who stayed on Scheyer’s first roster. Roach was quickly named team captain, and he shared that title this season with Tyrese Proctor and Ryan Young.

But Roach had his clear best college season for Scheyer’s second team, which advanced to the Elite Eight. Roach’s senior season was highlighted by his new career mark from 3. One of the first pivotal moments in Scheyer’s tenure came midway through his first season, when he shifted Roach off-ball and moved Proctor to point guard. Duke promptly rattled off 10 straight wins, including an ACC Tournament title, behind that revamped backcourt combination. This season, Roach improved on his previous career-best 3-point rate by just over 8.5 percent, which helped him finish as Duke’s third-leading scorer behind Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain.

The former five-star recruit, who played for Paul VI in high school — the same program that produced Trevor Keels and 2024 signees Patrick Ngongba and Darren Harris — should be a highly sought-after commodity in the transfer portal because of his vast college experience and 3-point production.

Duke guard Jeremy Roach announces he is declaring for the NBA Draft while also maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal.

One of the key figures in Duke basketball history for the way he bridged the Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer eras. pic.twitter.com/HehLTm1WeK

— Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) April 17, 2024

Required reading

(Photo: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)